It appears Ghana is not walking its talk about commitment to energy transition, as the country’s consumption of fossil fuel products continues to increase.
Ghana keeps talking about transitioning into cleaner energy, with reduced emissions, yet the numbers on how much petroleum products the country consumes tell a far more complicated story.
The 2024 Petroleum Sector Report by the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors (CBOD) reveals that in 2024, Ghana’s gross national consumption of petroleum products rose to 5.27 million metric tonnes, the highest level recorded in six years.
This 2024 consumption represents a 17%increase from 2023, when consumption stood at 4.49 million metric tonnes.
This can be described as ironic, even as policy documents, conferences, and commitments speak the language of energy transition. The country is using more petrol, more diesel, and more gasoil than ever before.
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What is Driving the Surge?
The growth in the usage of fossil fuel-related products is not coming from power generation. In fact, the power sector consumed just 0.4 percent of total petroleum products in 2024. The real driver is everyday economic life.
According to the report, a staggering 99.6 percent, or 5.25 million metric tonnes, was consumed by the non-power sector. That includes transport, industry, commerce, and households. This non-power consumption alone rose by 17 percent from 2023.
In simple terms, Ghanaians are moving more, producing more, and burning more fuel to make things happen.
Almost all major petroleum products recorded notable increases. Gasoil (diesel) and gasoline (petrol) each grew by 16 percent in 2024. These fuels power the buses on highways, the trucks hauling goods, the generators backing up unreliable electricity, and the machines driving industrial output.
The sharpest jumps came from products tied closely to logistics and commerce. Marine Gas Oil (MGO) consumption surged by 85 percent, while Cell Site gasoil, which keeps telecom towers running, skyrocketed by 264 percent between 2023 and 2024.
Even aviation fuel, ATK, increased by 6 percent, reflecting growing air travel and economic activity, though it remains 8 percent below pre-COVID levels recorded in 2019.
A Persistent Rise
The trend chart tells a very interesting story of how the increase in consumption in 2024 is not a one-off event but a steady rise over the years. From 4.06 million metric tonnes in 2019, consumption dipped and rose with economic cycles but has now climbed steadily to 5.27 million metric tonnes in 2024.
This is not a temporary spike but a structural pattern, and that is where the contradiction lies.
Ghana has publicly committed to renewable energy targets, cleaner transport, and climate action. Solar, wind, and electric mobility dominate official rhetoric. Yet on the ground, economic growth remains deeply tied to fossil fuels.
Transport still runs overwhelmingly on petrol and diesel. Industry still relies heavily on gasoil. Back-up generators remain essential for businesses. And expanding digital infrastructure quietly burns more fuel behind the scenes.
When Transition Meets Reality
The situation reflects Ghana’s reality. As the experts advocate, energy transition is not just about ambition. It is about infrastructure, affordability, reliability, and alternatives that work at scale. Until cleaner options become cheaper, dependable, and widely available, petroleum products will continue to carry the weight of Ghana’s economy.
For now, as the data presented by CBOD reveals, Ghana’s clean energy transition is moving more slowly than consumption.
